ORLANDO, Fla. -- An orphaned manatee is back in the care of SeaWorld Orlando, less than a year after being returned to the water.
- SeaWorld team rescue underweight manatee on Tuesday
- Buckeye was first rescued by SeaWorld in 2015 after being orphaned
- He was rehabilitated and later released at Blue Spring State Park
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The park's rescue team picked up Buckeye on Tuesday after being alerted that he had "unaccountable weight loss."
Once back at SeaWorld's Critical Care Facility, veterinarians performed a diagnostic test to determine the cause of Buckeye's weight loss.
Buckeye was first rescued by SeaWorld's team in Daytona Beach in 2015. At the time, he was orphaned and underweight. He spent more than two years at SeaWorld, undergoing rehabilitation.
In 2017, he was transferred to the Jacksonville Zoo before being released at Blue Spring State Park in early 2018.
SeaWorld's team is hopeful Buckeye will be able to return to Blue Spring State Park soon.